Communes for retirees?

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BeachHammock

Confused about dryer sheets
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May 7, 2012
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I remember reading an article a LONG time ago about how there were these communities where people got together and it was like an adult dorm. You rented out a small apartment, shared bathroom, ate at a cafeteria and helped clean the place. You paid a very low monthly fee for all that. I think that's a GREAT idea and will help cut down expenses for retirees but don't know where to find them. What do I search for? What's the correct term? Not sure commune is the right one. Do you guys know what I'm talking about?
 
BeachHammock, I think you are probably looking for something lower in cost than most assisted living facilities, though a low cost one might be in the price range you had in mind.

Problem is, virtually all of the communes that I knew of in the 60's, no longer exist for one reason or another and lack of a sound financial footing is one of the big reasons why this can happen. You don't want to be tossed out on the street when you are feeble and 95, I suspect.

If you have some ownership in the commune/facility, then you might have more control about such things. And if you want a low cost ownership situation, then a smaller "golden girls" type of arrangement in a single family home might work out best. Would that work for you? Maybe you have some long time friends to do this with.
 
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Halfway house?
 
W2R said:
And if you want a low cost ownership situation, then a smaller "golden girls" type of arrangement in a single family home might work out best. Would that work for you? Maybe you have some long time friends to do this with.
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W2R, are you suggesting a senior citizen harem to Mr Beach Hammock? Hammock dude doing what his name implies he does best, and the Golden Girls whipping up some nice supper. Hey, after all the time I spent cooking today, sounds pretty good to me too.

When I lived in Venice Beach a friend owned a nice house right on the boardwalk. Once a year or so the Hog Farm would show up, with all the hippie chicks cooking like mad and the guys strumming guitars and getting incredibly stoned. Of course the women were all stoned too, but mostly on coke to keep their energy up. That was the high water mark of male privilege, que lástima! To get that today I think a guy would have to move to Turkey, and get married to boot.

I wonder about a low cost 55+ trailer park in AZ or NV. I imagine these can get pretty communal after a little time to get introduced around? Just be sure you own your lot/pad. If I ever get tired of NW winters, I'm heading down there too, for the winter. Cookouts every night on the mesquite coals, singalongs, vaya con dios parties every April and Bienvenidos a Sr. Ha every November.

OMG I can't wait!

Ha
 
haha said:
W2R, are you suggesting a senior citizen harem to Mr Beach Hammock? Hammock dude doing what his name implies he does best, and the Golden Girls whipping up some nice supper. Hey, after all the time I spent cooking today, sounds pretty good to me too.
Click to expand...

Well, golden girls, golden guys... at 80 or 90, it may not matter so much if the participants like one another and will pitch in.

haha said:
I wonder about a low cost 55+ trailer park in AZ or NV. I imagine these can get pretty communal after a little time to get introduced around? Just be sure you own your lot/pad. If I ever get tired of NW winters, I'm heading down there too, for the winter. Cookouts every night on the mesquite coals, singalongs, vaya con dios parties every April and Bienvenidos a Sr. Ha every November.

OMG I can't wait!

Ha
Click to expand...

:) That's a good idea! I don't know much about trailer parks or RV life, but when I visited Slab City in California back in the early 1980's it seemed like everybody there knew everybody else - - pretty communal in its own way.
 
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We just went there to go fishing. There's a big canal that runs right through it, and it was pretty easy to catch dinner. In the video it looks like there are a lot of unconventional, almost scary people there. In my memories, most of the people did not seem like that - - but then, maybe I was more unconventional and scary myself in the early 1980's. :LOL: From my vantage point at that time the people seemed like old people without a whole lot of money who were living a lower middle class lifestyle.
 
W2R said:
Well, golden girls, golden guys... at 80 or 90, it may not matter so much if the participants like one another and will pitch in.
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Given the demographics of the over 70 crowd, it would probably be golden-girls and the golden-guy.

This commune idea would appeal mostly to university professors. After all, Universities are about the only place one finds communists these days. :D
 
A lot of us boomers went to Woodstock and were hippie want a bees so this would just be a returning to our roots without the drugs except prescription drugs and medical Marijuana . So get out the Maxi dresses which luckily are back in fashion and add some flowers in your hair and we are good to go !
 
I thought of Tacoma Park MD when you said that..seems like they have something with a community kitchen. Of course you know you take turns cooking for 50 people or so-are you up for that.

google found a directory http://directory.ic.org/records/communes.php
 
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The Slab City video is a nice reminder of how fortunate we are.
 
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I've never heard of that Slab City before, although now, thinking back, I think part of the movie "Into the Wild" took place there. Gotta admit, I'm strangely intrigued by it. However, I don't know if I'd want to go visit it looking like I have money!
 
haha said:
I wonder about a low cost 55+ trailer park in AZ or NV. I imagine these can get pretty communal after a little time to get introduced around? Just be sure you own your lot/pad. If I ever get tired of NW winters, I'm heading down there too, for the winter. Cookouts every night on the mesquite coals, singalongs, vaya con dios parties every April and Bienvenidos a Sr. Ha every November.

OMG I can't wait!

Ha
Click to expand...

My aunt lives year round in one of these communities south of Phoenix. She enjoys it - but the year round community is MUCH smaller than during the winter.
 
Chuckanut said:
Given the demographics of the over 70 crowd, it would probably be golden-girls and the golden-guy.

This commune idea would appeal mostly to university professors. After all, Universities are about the only place one finds communists these days. :D
Click to expand...

You haven't been hanging out with WWU professors in Fairhaven have you?

(I'm guessing based on your name. I lived in B'ham for 3 years in the 90's.)

Although Fairhaven is a lot less hippy - dippy than it was 20 years ago... I was there for a wedding a year ago.
 
Try searching on coho using. Slightly different from what you described (no shared bathroom ), according to cohousing.org:

Cohousing communities are usually designed as attached or single-family homes along one or more pedestrian streets or clustered around a courtyard. They range in size from 7 to 67 residences, the majority of them housing 20 to 40 households. Regardless of the size of the community, there are many opportunities for casual meetings between neighbors, as well as for deliberate gatherings such as celebrations, clubs and business meetings.
The common house is the social center of a community, with a large dining room and kitchen, lounge, recreational facilities, children’s spaces, and frequently a guest room, workshop and laundry room. Communities usually serve optional group meals in the common house at least two or three times a week.
The need for community members to take care of common property builds a sense of working together, trust and support. Because neighbors hold a commitment to a relationship with one another, almost all cohousing communities use consensus as the basis for group decision-making.
 
Recent AARP newsletter talks about such a community in Port Townsend, WA, and elsewhere.
 

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Yes, a co-housing or intentional community arrangement is what you want. They're often not age limited but they do seem to attract an older crowd.

Ganus is one. GANAS - New York City

You can stay there to check it out and take the ferry across to Manhattan.

A lot of the "buy-in" ICs are $$$. You would think they wouldn't be but their land and housing is expensive.
 
Community road trip
 

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